Method of and apparatus for preparing creasing counters



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" IIIIIl G. G. Ml-:ssERsMln-l METHOD OF AND APPARATU$ FOR PREPARING CRElllll'I/I/lll Filed June IWW Jan. l1, 1949.

Patented Jan. 11, 1949 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRE- PARING CREASINGCOUNTERS George G. Messersmith, Chicago, Ill., assignor to A J. F.Helmold & Bro., Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of IllinoisApplication June 7, 1947, Serial No. 753,341

(Cl. Y6-107) 13 Claims.

The present invention pertains generally to a simplified, time and laborsaving method, and apparatus for performing the same, to prepare thecounter or counterscore sheets of the type ordinarily employed inconjunction with standard metal creasing rules in the blanking andcreasing of fibrous sheet material, such as folding cardboard boxblanks, corrugated board and the like. Such counters are normallymounted on the cylinder or platen member of a press, and coact withcreasing rules, which are blocked up on an opposed bed member of thepress, in the creasing of paperboard and like materials in anappropriate pattern. To this end, in accordance with conventionalpractice, said counters are routed out along lines registering with thecreasing rule in said die, the width of the routed lines exceeding thewidth of the rule to accommodate the stock when the press members arebrought together and operated in the actual creasing step.

The usual operation of preparing the creasing counter is a laborious,exacting and time consuming one in which the operator first mounts thematerial of the counter on the press cylinder or platen and blocks upthe cutting knives and creasing rule in a die on the press bed. He theninks the exposed working edge of the creasing rule, brings the pressmembers together and operates the same to transfer onto the counter alight ink marking as a guide for a subsequent routing operation. Thepress members are next separated and the counter routed out by hand inan appropriate width of line following the guide marking. This routingoperation, as stated above, is a very exacting one requiringconsiderable skill and judgment on the part of the operator, and as aresult, the work of preparing the counter usually constitutes adisproportionately large factor in the cost of cutting and creasing Workin accordance with the conventional procedures.

The present invention eliminates the need for skilled lay-out androuting work in the production of creasing counters, substituting asimple, quicklyy performed operation which calls for no special skill onthe part of the operator and in which the counter is completely preparedby removal of the exact amount of material required, as a single pressoperation. This is made possible by a novel preliminary assembly ofspecial cutting rules with the creasing rule in the die, said assemblybeing such that it is only necessary to eliminate the cutting edge ofsaid cutting rule, following use of the assembly to fully prepare thecounter, in order to expose the creasing rule and make it available forits intended normal creasing function.

In accordance with the above general outline, it is an object of theinvention to provide a novel method for preparing creasing counters inwhich the need for the usual preliminary line lay-out work iseliminated, together with the necessity of thereafter performingexpensive hand routing on the counter.

Another object is to provide an improved apparatus for preparingcounters including cutting members or rules associated with a creasingrule in a novel manner to automatically remove material from a cardboardor like counter sheet along a desired outline and in a desired width, asa single counter preparing operation.

A still further object is to provide a special assembly of creasing andcutting rules of the type referred to, in which provision is made todispose of the cutting edge of the latter following use, in a manner toexpose the working edge of the creasing rule, and wherein this isaccomplished without disturbing the original blocked up relation of saidrules in a creasing or blanking and creasing die.

A still further object is toprovide a counter creasing assemblyembodying creasing and special cutting rules which are initially blockedup in a die, said cutting rules being weakened in spaced relation to thecutting edge thereof to enable removal or disposition of said cuttingedge when it has served its function, in which assembly it isunnecessary to dismantle the die following preparatory cutting operationand prior to the actual creasing operation.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the natureof the invention, but other and more specific objects will be apparentto those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the presentmethod and the construction and operation of the apparatus for puttingthe same in practice.

Several embodiments of the invention are presented herein for purpose ofexempliiication, and it will be appreciated that the invention issusceptible of incorporation in still other modified forms comingequally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional nature,illustrating the apparatus of the invention in its operative relation tothe parts of a standard bed and cylinder type press and indicating thefunctioning thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective 3 4View illustrating oneform of special cutting rule employed in the practice of the presentinvention;

Figs, 3 and 4 are similar enlarged views in vertical transverse sectionthrough cutting and creasing rule assemblies in accordance with twoalternative embodiments of the invention, as mounted in a die,illustrating the operative relationship of the respective rule elementsand indicating the mode of functioning thereof in removing material froma counter on an opposed press part;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view in perspective, illustrating thecreasing rule andportions oi the cutting rules, whether `in accordancewith the form of Fig. 3 or that of Fig. 4, as they appear followingfracturing along a predetermined line of weakness to enable removal oftheir respective cutting edges, thereby to expose the working edge ofthe creasing rule for a creasingr operation;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View in vertical transverse section illustratingthe relationship of the press parts, the prepared counter and creasingrule during the actual creasing operation; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating a counterpreparing setup in accordance with a still further modied adaptation ofthe invention.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, there is illustrated therein thecylinder Iii and bed II of a standard bed and cylinder type press with lwhich the present provisions for preparing counters are associated.However, it should be understood that the principles of the inventionare in no way dependent on the particular type of press employed in theultimate creasing operation for which the counter is prepared. Thereference numeral I 3 designates a steel cylinder jacket and thereference ntuneral I4 indicates va flexible brous counter orcounterscore sheet suitably applied to the jacket, It is with thepreparation of said counter that the invention deals.

rlhe bed II has a cutting and creasing die, generally designated I5,secured thereon in a conventional fashion, said die consisting ofblocking It of wood, metal or other suitable material which is employedto block or clamp the respective sharp edged cutting rule I'I and theblunt edged creasing rule I8 in the desired conguration to process thearticle or blank to be subsequently produced. It will be appreciatedthat the cutting rule I'I is employed in any desired outline t0 properlyblank out, slit, cut, score, nick or perforate the sheet material to beultimately processed and that the creasing rule is also appropriatelyylaid out to impart desired uncut creased or fold lines to saidmaterial. Such details of shape of the respective cutting and creasingedges are not involved in the invention. In accordance with standardpractice, conventional sheet stripping material, such as thecompressible cork or rubber members I9, is glued onto the blocking alongeither side of the cutting rule I'I t0 strip the material of the blankfrom said cutter.

The present invention affords a procedure and apparatus forautomatically and in a single press operation removing material from thecounter I4 in register with and in duplication of the linear congurationof the 4creasing rule I3, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6. Thepurpose of this is to afford clearance space 2l! in the counter whichultimately receives and accommodates the material of the blank 2-I whichis creased, along the crease line 22 produced by said creasing rule.Accordingly, said material is removed in a Width 4 predeterminedlyexceeding the width of rule I8, which may vary within relatively widelimits depending on the type of work to be produced. As stated above,this operation is usually performed by a skilled router,

In accordance with the present invention, I block up special countercutting rules 23 on either side of each creasing rule I8 when the die I5is originally laid out, in the manner illustrated in. Figs. 1 and 3. Theheight of the rules 23 substantially exceeds that of creasing rule I8,as shown in Fig. 3 'and they are provided with a sharpened exposed,upper edge at 24, so as to exert a desired cutting and material removingaction encounter I4. eSaid edge may be center face sharpened inaccordance with the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or itmay be side face sharpened as indicated at 25 in the alternativeembodiment of Fig. 4, wherein the special rule is designated 26. Ineither case the spacing ,of the yrespective sharpened edges from oneanother controls the width of the strip 2l -of material removed fromcounter `I4 to provide the clearance lspace 20. This in turn depends onthe thickness of the stock -of the blank or sheet 2| which is to becreased, the thickness of the creasing rule I8 and other considerations,

As illustrated in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4, counter cutting rules 23 or 26are weakened somewhat along a line spaced substantially below andparallelng the respective cutting edges 24 or 25, but above or at leastnot lower than the level of the blocking I6 when the rules are locked upin operative position therein. In the form illustrated in 5;; each ofthe gures referred to, this weakening is Veifected by the formation of aplurality of elongated slots 28 in alignment with lbut spaced from oneanother by intervening connecting pillars '29 of relatively smallcross-sectional area. The shape and size of these openings and pillarsmay vary in accordance with the dimensions and materials of therespective rules. The weakening should be carried out to a suiicientextent to enable the rule-.to be fractured with reasonable ease along.the weakened Zone when desired, using a readily available hand toolsuch as a chisel or screw driver, yet not suiiiciently to destroy thecolumn Astrength of the rule entirely and thereby interfere with itsprimary function of cutting the counter. Other methods of `producing aweakened zone in the rule, enabling subsequent fracturing in that Zoneand removal or disposition of the upper cutting portion and lconsequentexposure of the working face of creasing rule I8,

C will suggest rthemselves to those skilled in the art.

With the creasing and `counter cutting rules I S, 23 or 26 installed inthe die, the Cylinder II), bed II or equivalent press parts areapproached toward one another suciently to enable the cutters topenetrate counter I4 and are operated to cause the cutting edges 24 or25 to free the strip 21 from counter I4. The press parts are thenseparated and strip 21 is removed to expose the clearance space 20.Next, using any suitable instrument such as a screw driver or the like,the operator proceeds `to bend and/or fracture the upper portion of rule23 or 26 along the elongated zone of weakening of the rule. This enablesthe cutting edges 24 or 25 to be removed or at least loweredsubstantially in the lateral direction, if not entirely removed, therebyexposing the working :face or edge 30 of the creasing rule I8, inthemanner illustrated in Fig. 5. The press parts are then re-approached andthe die is ready for use, in which position of the parts the creasingrule is opposed by a registering clearance area 20 of appropriate widthin counte |4as shown in Fig. 6. Y

l Any desired method of predeterminedly weakening the rules v2.1i may beresorted to which is consistent with the above purpose. Thus in Fig. '7I illustrate specialcounter cutting rules 3i which are weakened lbyindenting, grooving or otherwise reducing the cross-sectional Widththereof along lines 32on opposite sides thereof which parallel thecutting edge of the rule. Other adaptations for the same purpose willreadily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

From the foregoing it is believed apparent that I have provided a methodand apparatus which greatly reduces the time, labor and skill requiredin the preparation of creasing counters and which, notwithstanding theslight factor of cost involved in the use of the special counter cuttingrules, substantially :reduces the overall cost of preparation ofcounters accordingly.

Various further adptations of the invention will occur to those skilledin the art. For example, special cutting rules employed in associationwith the creasing rule need not be of height coeXtensive with that ofthe creasing rule. Provisions for wedgingly or frictionally engagingspecial sharpened cutting rules of this type in side-byside engagementwith the creasing rule and permitting withdrawal of the sharpenedmembers following the preparatory countercutting operation at oncesuggest themselves. I therefore desire that all such substitutions andmodified adaptations be regarded as within the scope of the presentinvention as defined by the appended claims.

Iclaim:

l. Apparatus for the preparation of creasing counters, comprising asupport having a creasing rule and a pair of special cutting rulesrigidly mounted therein on opposite sides of said creasing rule, saidcutting rules having elongated knife edges spaced laterally from andprojecting beyond the working face of the creasing rule and beingweakened along lines paralleling and spaced rearwardly of said knifeedges and said working face, thereby to enable removal of said knifeedges at a point behind said working face following a material cuttingoperation of said cutting rules and to leave said Working face eX-mounted therein on opposite sides of said creasing :u

rule and coeXtensive in length therewith, said cutting rules havingelongated knife edges spaced laterally from and projecting beyond theworking face of the creasing rule and being weakened by removal ofmaterial thereof along lines paralleling and spaced rearwardly of saidknife edges and said working face, thereby to enable removal of saidknife edges at a point behind said working face following a materialcutting operation of said cutting rules and to leave said working faceexposed for a creasing operation.

3. In apparatus for the preparation of creasing counters, a specialcutting rule adapted to be rigidly mounted in a die paralleling acreasing rule, said cutting rule having an elongated knife 1 edge andbeing weakened rearwardly of said knife edge to enable removal of thelatter.

4. In apparatus for the preparation of creasing counters, a specialcutting rule adapted to be rigidly mounted in a die paralleling acreasing1rule',-fsaid cutting *rulel having an elongated knife edge; andbeing weakened by a line of perfora'tOllS paralleling:andrearwardly ofsaid knife edge to enable removal of the latter.

5. In apparatus for the preparation of creasing counters, a specialcuttingrule adapted to be rigidly mounted ina die paralleling a creasingrule, said cutting rule having an elongated knife edgeand beingweakenedby removal of material along a line paralleling and rearwardlyrof said knife edge to enable removal of the latter.

6. In apparatus for the preparation of creasing counters, a specialcutting rule having an elongated knife edge and weakened rearwardly ofsaid edge by reduction of the cross sectional width thereof along a lineparalleling said yedge to enable removal of said knife edge whendesired.

7.-A special cutting rule comprising a, thin elongated blade having asharpened cutting edge and provided with a row of weakening perforationsparalleling and spaced substantially rearwardly of said edge there beingsufficient of the material of said blade between said perforations toimpart adequate column strength thereto to sustain a single papercutting operation and also to permit convenient fracturing along saidrow when desired.

8. Apparatus for preparing creasing counters` comprising a creasing rulehaving an elongated working' face, a pair of similar cutting rulesdisposed on either side thereof and rigidly locked therewith in a die,said cutting rules having cutting edges projecting substantially beyondthe working face of said creasing rule and each being provided with aweakening line behind said cutting edges and working face but above theadjacent exposed surface of said die thereby to facilitate removal ofsaid cutting edges following a counter cutting operation and to exposesaid working edge for a counter creasing operation.

9. Apparatus for preparing creasing counters comprising a creasing rulehaving an elongated working face, a pair of similar cutting rulesdisposed on either side thereof and rigidly locked therewith in a die,said cutting rules having cutting edges projecting substantially beyondthe working face of said creasing rule and each being provided with aweakening line of elongated apertures behind said cutting edges andWorking face but above the adjacent exposed surface of said die, therebyto facilitate removal of said cutting edges following a counter cuttingoperation and to expose said working edge for a counter creasingoperation.

10. In apparatus for preparing creasing counters, a pair of similarcutting rules adapted to be mounted in fixed relation to a creasing ruleon either side thereof, said cutting rules each having elongated knifeedges and having means spaced rearwardly of said edges to weaken andfacilitate fracturing of the respective rules along lines generallyparalleling said knife edges, whereby to expose the working face of thecreasing rule.

1l. A method of preparing a creasing counter for operation inconjunction with a creasing rule, comprising rigidly supporting saidcreasing rule in a die together with elongated cutting rules on eachside thereof which project beyond the working face of said creasingrule, simultaneously applying said cutting rules under pressure to anopposed counter to remove material therefrom between the cutting edgesof the rules, and thereafter fracturing said cutting rules along thelength thereof and behind said working face of messer the creasing rule,'whereby to :removesaid ycutting edges and expose said Working facewithout altering the relation rof `said creasing `rule 'to the die.

12. In apparatus for the preparation of creas ing counters, a specialsharpedged -euttng rule adapted to be rigidly mounted on a ldie in par--allel and si'de contacting relation to 'a vstandard creasing rule, withthe sharpened edge 'thereof substantially overlapping the Working vfaceof said creasing rule.

13. In apparatus Afor the preparation of creasi-ng counters, a creasingrule and -a pair of special sharp-edged cutting rules adapted to Vberigidly mounted on a die in parallel `and side `contacting relation tosaid creasing rule, with the sharpened edges thereof substantiallyoverlapping the working face of 'said creasing rule.

GEORGE G. MESSERSMITH.

'No 'reerences cited.

